SUBJECT
Title
DISTRICT 4 STORM RESPONSE AND RECOVERY GRANT (DISTRICT: 4)
Body
OVERVIEW
On January 22, 2024, San Diego County faced unprecedented rainstorms that lead to widespread flooding and a proclamation of a State of Emergency by the Governor for San Diego County on January 23, 2024, and an additional State of Emergency proclamation on February 4, 2024. The floods caused immense property damage and devastation throughout the county including many District 4 communities. The damage was extensive including hundreds of homes resulting in over 1,200 displaced San Diegans, and ultimately led to a Major Disaster Declaration by the Biden Administration for San Diego County on February 19, 2024.
Community Based Organizations (CBOs) have played a vital role in flood recovery efforts. These CBOs have worked around the clock since the initial flooding on January 22, 2024, to provide emergency shelter, health and social support services, cleanup assistance, aid in disaster assessments, and additional response efforts. Several organizations that have made tremendous efforts in service to the flood victims include, but are not limited to, the Jackie Robinson YMCA of San Diego, the member organizations of the Southeast Disaster Response Team, the Harvey Family Foundation, The Chicano Federation, The American Red Cross of San Diego and Imperial Counties, Spring Valley Community Alliance, and the Casa de Oro Alliance.
District 4 has a remaining balance of $474,163 of unspent Community Enhancement (CE)/ARPA funds from the previous allocation in 2021. These funds were not expended by the previous District 4 Supervisor for current designated use to help community enhancement groups with COVID recovery. With this action, District 4 will be able to allocate the remaining funding where it is most needed in service to the residents of District 4. The most appropriate use of the remaining funds at this time is in support of CBOs in their ongoing efforts to aid flood victims. These organizations continue to provide essential services for flood victims of San Diego County and they are deserving of our ongoing fiscal support in their efforts.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
SUPERVISOR MONICA MONTGOMERY STEPPE
1. Direct the Interim Chief Administrative Officer to transfer the remaining balance of $474,163 in the District 4 Community Enhancement-ARPA account to the “District 4 Storm Response and Recovery Grant.”
2. Direct the Interim Chief Administrative Officer to distribute the remaining $474,163 in accordance with Board of Supervisors Policy B-58 to organizations assisting in storm response and recovery efforts in District 4 from January 22, 2024, through June 30, 2024.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Decades of inadequate and inequitable infrastructure investments left communities of color and low-income communities throughout District 4 vulnerable to devastation from a natural disaster such as the hundred-year rainstorm that hit San Diego County in Winter 2024. To overcome these failures, Community Based Organizations serve a vital role in addressing the specific needs of these communities. By supporting the efforts of these CBOs through grant funding, the County can serve as a partner in providing for the basic needs of flood victims who have had to unjustly bear the consequences of years of neglect to their communities.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
A critical component to the sustainability of the region is resiliency, as outlined in the County’s Strategic Plan. The ability to respond to, and recover from, disasters is essential. In order to fulfill this role, the County must continue to provide grant funding to CBOs performing work on the ground supporting and solidifying efforts to ensure basic needs (shelter, food, healthcare) are met for communities impacted by natural disasters.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for this request are included in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Operational Plan in Finance Other, Community Enhancement ARPA Program. If approved, this request will result in estimated one-time costs of $474,163 redirected to organizations assisting in storm response and recovery efforts in District 4 from January 22, 2024. The funding source is ARPA program allocation. These ARPA funds may be used directly or leveraged through a revenue loss strategy to redirect existing General Purpose Revenue, which will in turn be available for this program. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
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Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
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BACKGROUND
San Diego County faced unprecedented rainstorms on January 22, 2024, that lead to widespread flooding and a proclamation of a State of Emergency by the Governor for San Diego County on January 23, 2024. The floods inflicted disproportionate damage to some of San Diego County’s most vulnerable and impoverished communities including many in District 4. An additional State of Emergency was declared on February 4, 2024, following more unprecedented rain fall in early February which caused continued property damage and devastation in these District 4 communities. On February 19, 2024, a Major Disaster Declaration was declared by the Biden Administration for San Diego County.
The flooding caused the displacement of over 1,200 San Diegans from their homes. According to damage assessments, which total 2,911 as of January 30, 2024, District 1 and District 4 were the most impacted districts. The majority of the damage has occurred within the City of San Diego. To date, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has inspected 4,200 properties, received over 5,500 applications for assistance and have provided $14.4 million to flood survivors. The majority of victims were without flood insurance leaving them in a vulnerable position without coverage to provide necessities such as housing, clothing, and food.
Many Community Based Organizations have stepped up to help these impacted communities, playing a vital role in flood recovery. The substantial efforts of CBOs such as the Jackie Robinson YMCA of San Diego, the member organizations of the Southeast Disaster Response Team, the Harvey Family Foundation, The American Red Cross of San Diego and Imperial Counties, Spring Valley Community Alliance, and the Casa de Oro Alliance are commendable and worthy of highlighting. Together these organizations have played a vital role in ensuring the safety, stability, and comfort for hundreds of San Diegans impacted by the floods. Their efforts have resulted in providing temporary shelter to individuals and families, providing thousands of meals, disaster cleanup efforts, delivery of disaster health, mental health, and spiritual health services, performing hundreds of disaster assessments as well as additional response efforts in service to impacted individuals and families continuously since the beginning of the flooding emergency on January 22.
On June 8, 2021 (3), the Board of Supervisors directed that Community Enhancement funding be augmented with $5,000,000 in one-time funds made available to the County under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to provide funding for organizations adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This augmented funding was evenly distributed across all five County Districts. District 4 has a remaining balance of $474,163 of unspent CE/ARPA funds from this previous allocation. These funds were not expended by the previous District 4 Supervisor for current designated use to help community enhancement groups with COVID recovery. With this action, District 4 will be able to disperse the remaining funding where it is most needed in service to the residents of District 4. The most appropriate use of the remaining funds at this time is in support of CBOs in their ongoing efforts to aid flood victims. These organizations continue to provide essential services for flood victims of San Diego County and they are deserving of our ongoing fiscal support in their efforts.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed actions support the County of San Diego’s 2024-2029 Strategic plan by supporting the Strategic Initiatives of Sustainability and Community. Sustainability is supported in the area of Resiliency by ensuring the capability to respond and recover to immediate needs for individuals, families, and the region. Community is supported in the area of Quality of Life by providing programs and services that enhance the community through increasing the well-being of our residents and our environments.
Respectfully submitted,
MONICA MONTGOMERY STEPPE
Supervisor, Fourth District
ATTACHMENT(S)
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